6/5/2017 My view: Open letter to Gov.

Cuomo: Stop delaying power plant project

My view: Open letter to Gov. Cuomo: Stop delaying power plant project
Tuesday
Posted Apr25,2017at3:45PM
Updated Apr25,2017at5:03PM

This is an open letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council proudly represents more than 10,000 unionized
construction workers in the Hudson Valley. We are the men and women who make projects big and small a reality, from
early on in the approval process to ribbon cutting, we help build New Yorks future one project at a time. Our members are
your family, friends and neighbors. Local people who are committed to doing a days work for a days pay.

You can take it from us, not every project is created equal. Sometimes the return on investment is pretty low, in other
cases, the project is a no-brainer. In New York, we need as many of those as we can get. Innovative, forward looking
projects that will create good-paying jobs and get much-needed new electricity into the grid to help local families and
business. The CPV Valley Energy Center in Wawayanda is a perfect example of such a project.

The plant is an exceptional project that New York state needs to re-embrace immediately. Of course we can all agree the
project must meet every safeguard and standard set by regulators so it can safely deliver the power Orange County
residents and business need to grow the local economy.

There are currently more than 800 workers on the construction site. Including indirect jobs, the total job creation is
estimated to be over 2,900 construction jobs and 94 operating jobs over the life of the project. Those are dramatic
numbers.

This project is not supported by a state power purchase contract or being subsidized by rate-payer dollars. Unlike too many
critical projects, there are no state tax subsidies involved in the nearly $1 billion investment. One hundred percent of the
investment to build this plant is picked up by CPV and its partners. No taxpayers will make any payments to the project.
This project will reduce energy capacity costs by over $600 million annually and provide additional revenue through the
purchase of waste-water from the City of Middletown. This water would otherwise be discharged directly into the Wallkill
River.

Anyone who has paid even a little attention over the years knows that the local economy needs some help. CPV Valley is
projected to provide over $1 billion of benefit to the local economy ($540 million during construction, plus $463 million
over 20 years of operation). This doesnt include the significant additional growth the power from the Valley energy center
will facilitate in the region.

After over seven years of environmental and regulatory review, the CPV Energy Center in Wawayanda and the lateral
pipeline project shouldnt be forced to jump through unnecessary and additional hoops for what amounts to extraordinary
regulatory hurdles to delay completion.

The Constitution Pipeline, the Northern Access Pipeline and now the Eight Mile Lateral Pipeline needed to supply natural
gas to the CPV project. Enough is enough, we ask you to stop using the DEC to delay or kill these valuable projects.

You have done many good things for the building trades members but killing of pipelines upstate is beginning to become
your legacy and it is hurting the upstate economy and growth.

http://www.recordonline.com/opinion/20170425/my-view-open-letter-to-gov-cuomo-stop-delaying-power-plant-project 1/4
6/5/2017 My view: Open letter to Gov. Cuomo: Stop delaying power plant project

L. Todd Diorio is President of Laborers Local 17.

http://www.recordonline.com/opinion/20170425/my-view-open-letter-to-gov-cuomo-stop-delaying-power-plant-project 2/4